Robinhood (HOOD) is intensifying its focus on advanced cryptocurrency traders, a shift that mirrors changing customer behavior amid a turbulent year for digital assets.
“Our observations vary across customer segments,” Johann Kerbrat, the head of crypto at Robinhood, stated in a recent interview.
“We have a significant number of younger customers who view this as a ‘buy the dip’ opportunity due to their longer-term outlook, making them less concerned about short-term fluctuations,” he noted.
However, the company is also witnessing an increasing number of more skilled users engaged in frequent trading, including day trading and managing cost basis strategies. Kerbrat, who will speak at Consensus Hong Kong in February 2026, remarked on this trend.
“We’ve observed significantly more activity from our advanced trader demographic,” he mentioned. “This is a result of both an increase in advanced traders and a wider array of tools available to them.”
In response to this trend, Robinhood has rolled out features such as tax-lot selection and custom cost basis options for cryptocurrency transfers, assisting users in managing their tax implications more effectively.
Crypto transactions can now be processed through seven liquidity venues, with trading fees potentially dropping as low as three basis points based on user volume.
Historically, the trading platform has been viewed as beginner-friendly, serving as a starting point for users in crypto before they moved on to more advanced tools on other platforms. Robinhood is now aiming to change that perception.
“For a long time, it seemed people regarded Robinhood as primarily a single product,” he stated. “Users often thought, ‘You might start on Robinhood, but then transition to another platform.’ Now, we’re seeing that more advanced traders are migrating from other platforms to Robinhood because they’re enthusiastic about our innovations.”
This evolution coincides with Robinhood’s plans to expand its cryptocurrency operations through international outreach, partnerships with on-chain protocols, and infrastructure enhancements meant to accommodate more sophisticated trading features.
Nevertheless, the company claims it is concentrating less on sheer trading volume—subject to market dynamics—and more on expanding its market share.
“If trading volume declines, there’s little I can do about it,” Kerbrat remarked. “But if someone chooses to favor Kraken or Coinbase over Robinhood, it indicates that my product isn’t sufficient—so I’m committed to making improvements.”
What does 2026 have in store?
“Next year will be about enhancing accessibility,” Kerbrat asserted. “For too long, crypto has been designed by engineers for engineers. Our aim is to broaden this to everything we develop on-chain.”
